Introduction

The TCS3200 Color Sensor is a programmable color light-to-frequency converter that combines configurable silicon photodiodes and a current-to-frequency converter. It can detect and measure the intensity of red, green, blue, and white light, making it ideal for color sorting, ambient light sensing, and industrial automation applications.

Key Features

Technical Specifications

Pin Configuration

Pin	Label	Description	Arduino Connection
1	VCC	Power (3.3V or 5V)	5V
2	GND	Ground	GND
3	S0	Frequency scaling selection	D2
4	S1	Frequency scaling selection	D3
5	S2	Photodiode type selection	D4
6	S3	Photodiode type selection	D5
7	OUT	Frequency output	D6
8	OE	Output enable (active low, optional)	GND (if not used)

Wiring with Arduino

// Basic Connections:
// VCC → 5V
// GND → GND
// S0 → D2
// S1 → D3
// S2 → D4
// S3 → D5
// OUT → D6
// OE → GND (if used)

// For best results, use consistent lighting and calibrate with known colors

Basic Color Detection Example

// TCS3200 Color Sensor Basic Example
#define S0 2
#define S1 3
#define S2 4
#define S3 5
#define OUT 6

void setup() {
  pinMode(S0, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(S1, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(S2, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(S3, OUTPUT);
  pinMode(OUT, INPUT);
  
  // Set frequency scaling to 20%
  digitalWrite(S0, HIGH);
  digitalWrite(S1, LOW);
  
  Serial.begin(9600);
}

void loop() {
  // Read Red component
  digitalWrite(S2, LOW);
  digitalWrite(S3, LOW);
  int red = pulseIn(OUT, LOW);
  
  // Read Green component
  digitalWrite(S2, HIGH);
  digitalWrite(S3, HIGH);
  int green = pulseIn(OUT, LOW);
  
  // Read Blue component
  digitalWrite(S2, LOW);
  digitalWrite(S3, HIGH);
  int blue = pulseIn(OUT, LOW);
  
  Serial.print("R: "); Serial.print(red);
  Serial.print(" G: "); Serial.print(green);
  Serial.print(" B: "); Serial.println(blue);
  
  delay(500);
}

Advanced Features

// Set frequency scaling (S0, S1)
// 2% scaling (low power)
digitalWrite(S0, LOW);
digitalWrite(S1, HIGH);

// 20% scaling (recommended)
digitalWrite(S0, HIGH);
digitalWrite(S1, LOW);

// 100% scaling (maximum)
digitalWrite(S0, HIGH);
digitalWrite(S1, HIGH);

// Select photodiode type (S2, S3)
// Red filter
digitalWrite(S2, LOW);
digitalWrite(S3, LOW);

// Green filter
digitalWrite(S2, HIGH);
digitalWrite(S3, HIGH);

// Blue filter
digitalWrite(S2, LOW);
digitalWrite(S3, HIGH);

// No filter (clear)
digitalWrite(S2, HIGH);
digitalWrite(S3, LOW);

// Calibration with known colors
void calibrate() {
  // Measure reference colors first
  // Store reference values in EEPROM
  // Compare new readings to references
}

// Simple color identification
String getColorName(int r, int g, int b) {
  if (r > g && r > b) return "Red";
  if (g > r && g > b) return "Green";
  if (b > r && b > g) return "Blue";
  return "Unknown";
}

Troubleshooting